1879 Springfield MA (Springfields)
This rendering is based on visual documentation for uniform style and written documentation for color. Minor details may be undocumented or difficult to determine. An educated guess is made to complete the rendering.
Rendering accuracy:Year: documented Team: documented
Visual documentation on this uniform:
Photo A
Dated April 23, 1879. Year of photo can be confirmed by the appearance of nine of the eleven players included. These men only played for Springfield in 1879. An April 23, 1879 photo date can be suggested by a newspaper report that stated on this day the Springfield team, after being photographed as a group in street clothes on April 22, was to “sit again today in their uniforms.” An early 1879 photo date can also be supported by the appearance of player-manager Ferguson, who submitted his resignation citing poor health and was given his release on June 5, 1879. Players wore a white uniform in this photo. The shirt had long sleeves and featured a white bib with a decorative letter ‘S’ in the middle. The bib had thin dark-colored trim around its edges, as did the shirt collar, shirt cuffs, and the seam along on the top of the shoulders, which was unusual. The belt was white with dark trim. The pants were loosely tailored at the knees and the stockings were dark. The shoes were light in color, possibly tan. Several white pillbox-style caps were displayed on the ground. A newspaper from April 1879 described the Springfield uniform as consisting of “white shirts, caps and belts, with red stockings.”
Top row, from left: J Latham (Spr 79, Was NA 79), F Goldsmith (Spr 79, Try NL 79), P Powers (79), S Crane (Spr 79, Wor NA 79), P Smith (79) and D O’Leary (Spr 79, Pro NL 79). Front: L Corcoran (Spr 78, 79, Hol NA 79), L Pike (Spr 79, Hol NA 79, Alb NA 79), B Ferguson (Spr 79, Try NL 79), J Cassidy (Spr 79, Try NL 79) and G Baker (78, 79). Player IDs from photo. Years with team from baseball-reference.com. Latham time with team from Scott Fiesthumel, SABR Bio Project: Jumbo Latham. Latham info retrieved November 23, 2019 as, at this time, baseball-reference.com incorrectly listed Latham as Arlie Latham on the 1879 Springfield roster. Ferguson release info from the Albany (NY) Evening Herald, June 6, 1879. Image scan from REA Auctions. Research from Carson Lorey. Original photo by Herman Buchholz, Springfield, MA.
Dated April 23, 1879. Detail view of photo A. Detail view showed a decorative letter ‘S’ in the middle of the shirt bib. Detail view also showed the trim on the shirt collar, shirt cuffs and belt. Note that there was also a thin line of trim running along the top of the shoulders.
Written documentation on this uniform:
April 1879: “The members of the Springfield team have all arrived and commenced practicing under Captain Ferguson April 7. The uniform will be white shirts, caps and belts, with red stockings.” From the New York Clipper, April 12, 1879. Research from Ed Morton.
April 1879: “The Springfields had their pictures taken in a group yesterday, and will sit again today in their uniforms.” From the Springfield Republican, April 23, 1879. Research from Brian Sheehy and also from Ed Morton.
Team genealogy: Coming soon
Rendering posted: November 24, 2019
Diggers on this uniform: Brian Sheehy, Carson Lorey, Ed Morton, Scott Fiesthumel,